Removal of some inorganic compounds from paper mill effluents by the electrocoagulation method

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to perform the experimental investigation of paper mill effluent treatment using the electrocoagulation method. Removal of ammonium, phosphate, nitrite and nitrate from paper mill effluents was examined by different current intensity, electrodes (Al and Fe), and electrolysis time. The experimental results show that the removal efficiency depends on the electrolysis time, the types of electrodes and the applied current. From the experiments carried out at 12 V and at a current intensity of 77.13 mA it was found that two minutes are sufficient for the removal of the pollutants (except for nitrate) using either electrodes. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal, however, required longer electrolysis times.